Walter Joseph was Friday named chairman of an Interim Management Committee (IMC) set up to run the affairs of football in Essequibo until an Essequibo Football Association is set up.
Magzene Stewart, Compton Haynes, Wayne Moore and Andre Blackman and Harold Alves are the other members of the committee.
GFF executive committee member Keith O’Jeer told Stabroek Sport via telephone that the new body which was appointed at a forum in Anna Regina, will be mandated to set up a functioning and legally constituted association.
“Their mandate is to set up a functioning association which includes creating a constitution, setting up a bank account, organising a minimum of five clubs and ensuring that they are properly constituted as well as setting a date for an AGM. While this is happening, they are empowered to set up association competitions to fall in line with the GFF tournaments,” said O’Jeer.
He added: “I think the persons who attended the forum were anxious to get on board and create this IMC which will eventually evolve into an association.
“Presently, as an IMC, they will be eligible to attend all GFF meetings and partake in any seminar or courses available but will not have the right to vote until they would have held their AGM which is anticipated to be in a few weeks time.”
Asked how much time was afforded to the entity to become a legal association, O’Jeer said six weeks.
“We gave them a time frame of six weeks; however this period can be extended.”
In an invited comment IMC Chairman Joseph stated: “This is a step in the right direction as football in Essequibo is dormant at the moment. “Currently we have a few teams playing against each other but not in a structured manner. Based on our discussions, the hope is in another two months we can have a properly constituted association.”
Joseph said the IMC will try to fit in with the plans of the GFF.
“The long term goal is to try to fit the plans of the GFF because without Essequibo being affiliated to the federation the sport will become stagnant in this region. Our attention will be to focus on youth level football as well as to develop the female game.”
GFF president Christopher Matthias in an invited comment stated: “True to our commitment Essequibo is on its way to become regularized and we have every intention of developing the discipline in the Essequibo and Rupununi regions.”
